The United States has congratulated Burkina Faso on Sunday's "peaceful and orderly" election that saw former prime minister Roch Marc Christian Kabore elected as the next president.

The White House statement commended the Burkinabe people "for their commitment to defending the principles of democracy" and said the U.S. looks forward to continuing to partner with the people and government of Burkina Faso "as they seize this opportunity to unify the country and advance the vital work of strengthening Burkinabe institutions."

Earlier Tuesday, Kabore thanked his supporters for the win and vowed to "get to work immediately." He dedicated his victory to the dozens of protesters who died last year in a popular uprising to oust longtime President Blaise Compaore.

Kabore, a former Compaore ally, won Sunday's election with more than 53 percent of the vote, becoming the West African nation's first new president in decades.

Legislative results from Sunday's poll have not yet been released.

Five million registered voters were eligible to select from among a slate of 14 presidential candidates. The polls originally were set for October, but were briefly delayed by a failed military coup.

Compaore was ousted in a 2014 coup. He first seized power by force in 1987 and later won four elections -- all of them disputed.

Burkina Faso has been largely led since independence in 1960 by authoritarians who seized power by force.